If you're lucky, among the rows of hedges at Notre-Dame, you may meet a remarkable elderly gentleman. You'll be able to identify him by two things that flock around him. One being birds, the second being children. I stumbled upon him when on my honeymoon. 

He spoke only French, but it made no difference to the children who gathered there from various countries. They all came to see him for one purpose only. To learn how to feed the multitude of sparrows hidden in the hedges.

The children eagerly held out their offerings, but the birds stayed put. That all changed, however, when the Bird Man came. He showed them how to stand as tall as a tree and hold their arm out firm, like a branch. Between two fingers and a thumb, he instructed how to hold the bit of bread. He did this only through gestures, so every child understood what he instructed.

Whoever the Bird Man touched the sparrows flocked to, much to the children's delight who would giggle with glee as the birds would flutter around their fingertips, nipping pieces of bread, some birds even taking a respite on a finger or a thumb.

Then I spotted this tiny thing. She was maybe about four-years-old with a bright fuzzy pink pullover, brilliant blue eyes, and shiny blonde hair. A little ray of sunshine. Try as she might, she couldn't seem to get the birds to come. Intently, she watched the other children. Perfectly she mirrored them, but no birds.

She caught the attention of the Bird Man of Notre-Dame, and he picked her up to stand on the edge of the stone that held back the hedges. He gave her a bit of his own bread from a stale baguette that he had covered in his bag, showing her how to hold it just right.

He gave her not just one piece but two, one for each hand, and showed by his example she should stretch out her arms like the letter Y and she mimicked his stance. Soon she did not have one bird, but six or seven sparrows flying around her head, several around each hand. The girl's smile brightened everyone's day who watched her look so exuberant and triumphant.

I snapped photo after photo of the Bird Man with his flock of children and birds. He noticed me, and I noted he wore the biggest smile of all. He looked back at the little girl and pointed to his mouth, and I saw she was missing her two front teeth. Yet this didn't stop her from beaming ear to ear. He laughed, and I laughed with him.

Neither nation nor age mattered. The language spoken was universal. It amazes me the joy you can experience with just a few simple crumbs.

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